Sheet handling device



Dec. 15, 1959 Filed Dec. 12, 1958 T. M. MATASIC SHEET HANDLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOK. Thomas M. Mafaszc Ww a/W ATTORNEY.

Dec. 15, 1959 T. M. MATASIC 2,917,205

SHEET HANDLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 2,917,205 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 SHEET HANDLING DEVICE Thomas M. Matasic, Youngstown, Dhio Application December 12, 1958, Serial No. 779,970 9 Claims; 01. 221-210 This invention relates to a device for handling steel sheets, plates and the like and more particularly to a device that will pick up the top sheet from a stack of sheets, separate it from the remainder of the stack and move it sidewardly and away therefrom.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device for removing one sheet at a time from a stack of sheets.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device that will remove one sheet from a stack of sheets regardless of the tendency of the sheet to stick to the remaining sheets in the stack. 7

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sheet handling device that may be adjusted to pick up a sheet or plate of any gauge and which will operate efliciently and rapidly.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sheet handling device which may be cycled for automatic operation.

The sheet handling device disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art in that a device is disclosed which removes the top sheet or plate from a stack of sheets or plates, regardless of the tendency of the sheet to stick to the stack, by the expedient of moving the sheet sidewardly a very small distance and simultaneously lifting one edge thereof to free the sheet and subsequently moving the sheet sidewardly from the stack. The sheet removing. device initially moves downwardly to engage the top sheet on the stack and is preset to the gauge of the sheets in the stack. The following action is rapid, automatic and the device is particularly suited for handling stacks of sheets prior to or after. plating, etc.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides: in: the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the sheet handling device and an adjacent conveyor roll table on which the sheets from the stack are deposited.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the sheet handling device shown in Figure 1. i 1

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the sheet engaging portions of the sheet engaging device shosvnin Figure 1 showing the initial movement imparted the sheet in freeing it from the stack.

Figure 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale showing the sheet handling device dropping a sheet onto the conveyor.

By referring to the drawings and Figure l in particular it will be seen that a sheet handling device is disclosed which is arranged on a mill floor adjacent an elevator 11 positioned in a pit 12 in the mill floor 10 and including means for moving a sheet holding platform 13 vertically between a pair of oppositely disposed guides 14. The elevator 11, platform 13, and guides 14 are preferably positioned on a carriage 15 which in turn is movably mounted on wheels 16 engaging rails 17. A stack of sheets 18 positioned on the platform 13 between the guides 14 may thus be moved adjacent the sheet handling device which includes a stand 19 having a horizontally movable arm 20 positioned in the uppermost part thereof and one end of which normally overlies the stack of, sheets 18. The arm 20 is of a length suflicient to move away from the'stand 19 and over the rolls 21 of a conveyor table positioned in oppositely disposed relation to the stand 19 with respect to the stack of sheets 18. The arm 20 is formed as a beam and is adapted to be moved longitudinally by a motor .22 mounted on the stand 19 and Operating a hydraulic pump which in turn energizes a hydraulic motor (not shown) within the stand 19 arranged to impart movement to the arm 20.

The arm 20 carries a pair of cylinders 2424 on its left end as seen in Figure I, the cylinders 24 being disposed vertically with respect to the horizontal arm 20 and each cylinder mounts an elongated piston 25, 25 each of which depends below the lower end of the cylinders 24 and the arm 20. The pistons 25, 25 carry abody member 26 on their lowermost ends.- The body member 26 is provided with a plurality of transversely positioned rollers 27, 27, the lowermost portions of which extend below the bottom surface of the body member 26.

The body member 26 has a horizontal channel defining structure 28 adjacent the right end thereof as seen in the drawings, which channel structure 28 slideably receives a bracket 29 in a manner so that the bracket 29 can move relative to the body member 26. The bracket 29 has an relative to the body member 26 by a servo motor 34 which is hydraulically connected to the pump 23 by means of suitable flexible connections and valves (not shown). The servo motor 34 is secured to an upstanding portion of the channel defining structure 28 and to a similar upstanding part of the bracket 29. v

The'body member 26 is suspended from the arm 20 by a pair of rods 35, 35 the upper ends of which are provided with threaded portions and nuts 36, 36 which are located within the arm 20 and coil springs 37, 37 are positioned between the nuts 36 and the lower portion of the arm 20 and normally urge the rods 35, 35'upw'ardly alongwith the body member 26. g

The rods 35 and springs 37 act as counterbalances for the body member 26 which may be moved vertically 7 relative to the arm 20 by a secondary servo motor 38 which is connected between a depending portion 39 of the arm 21 and an upstanding portion of the body member 26. Tubular connections extend between the servo motor 38 and the hydraulic pump 23 and include necessary flexible sections and valves (not shown).

The left end of the body member 26 as seen in the drawings includes a secondary bracket 40 pivoted to an upstanding portion of the body member 26 and having a secondary vertical guide formingportion 41 on its outermost edge. A secondary sheet engaging member 42 is positioned in the guides 41 for vertical movement and is adjustably mounted therein by a threaded stern and nut assembly 43. The lower end of the secondary sheet engaging member 42 has an inturned portion 44 which includes an inclined upper surface 45. A third servo motor 46 is positioned between an upstanding portion of the secondary bracket 40 and an upstanding portion of the body member 26 and arranged to move the secondary bracket 40 in an arcuate movement based on a pivot 47. Tubular connections extend from the servo 'motor 46 to the hydraulic pump 23 and include flexible sections where necessary and valves (not shown).

In operation the platform 13 with a stack of sheets 18 thereon is moved by the carriage 15 into proximity to the stand 19. The arm 20 moves outwardly to the left as shown in the drawings to position the body member 26 over the stack of sheets 18. The secondary servo motor 38 is energized to move the body member 26 downwardly until the rollers 27 engage the uppermost sheet on the stack 18. The sheet engaging member 31, having been previously adjusted to the gauge of the sheets to be removed, is then moved to the left by the servo motor 34 where its lowermost portion engages the topmost sheet on the stack 18 and moves it from the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

It will be observed that such movement causes the left edge of the sheet to rise as it engages and move up the inclined surface 45 of the secondary sheet engaging member 42. The lower part of the portion 44 of the secondary sheet engaging member 42 prevents the second sheet in the stack from moving sidewardly and the guides 14 insure against any movement of the other sheets in the stack 18. The device thus holds the second sheet and moves the topmost sheet in the stack. The action of the edge of the sheet riding up the inclined surfaces 45 frees the sheet from the stack. The arm 20 then rapidly moves again to the left and conveys the sheet over the conveyor rolls 21 as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings whereupon the third servo motor 46 is actuated to swing the secondary bracket 40 upwardly as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings and which action moves the secondary sheet engaging member 42 and its inwardly extending portion 44 out from in under the edge of the sheet and permits the sheet to drop on the conveyor rolls 21. Simultaneously the bracket 29 is moved outwardly, to the right, as shown in the drawings, of the body member 26 by the servo motor 34 and the secondary servo motor 38 moves the body member 26 upwardly. The arm 20 is then moved to the right to a position above the stack of sheets 18 and the cycle repeated, thus removing successive sheets from the stack.

The elevator 11 in the carriage 15 elevates the stack of sheets from time to time to bring the uppermost sheets within the operating range of the body member 26 and the sheet engaging members 31 and 42.

It will thus be seen that a sheet handling device has been disclosed which will operate satisfactorily for its intended purpose and it will occur to those skilled in the art that the rollers 23 in the bottom of the sheet engaging member 31 prevent the same from scratching the second sheet in the stack 18 while the first sheet is being slid off the top thereof and that the rollers 27 in the body member 26 protect the sheet being removed-from being scratched by the device. The sheet handling device may be obviously used for handling steel plates and the like and other shapes without modification. By changing the shape of the sheet engaging members 31 and 42 the device may be used for lifting tubular shapes including pipe tubes, cylinders and the like.

It will thus be seen that the sheet handling device disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sheet handling device including means for supporting and elevating a stack of sheets and means for engaging and removing one sheet at a time from said stack of sheets, said means for engaging and removing said sheet comprising a stand, an arm positioned in said stand for horizontal movement relative thereto, guide .4 means on one end of said arm and a body member positioned beneath said arm and having guides engaging said guide means, means for moving said body member vertically with respect to said arm, a bracket movably positioned on said body member adjacent one side thereof and arranged for movement toward and away from said body member, means for moving said bracket and a sheet engaging member adjustably positioned in said bracket for engaging the edge of a sheet, a secondary bracket on the opposite side of said body member with respect to said first mentioned bracket, a secondary sheet engaging member adjustably disposed in said secondary bracket and said secondary sheet engaging member including an inclined surface on which one edge of a sheet may be engaged, and means for moving said secondary sheet engaging bracket away from said sheet.

2. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein the means for supporting and elevating the stack of sheets comprises a carriage having an elevator therein and a platform on said elevator for supporting said sheets.

3. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein the guide means on said arm comprises a pair of cylindrical members open at their upper and lower ends and wherein said guides comprise elongated pistons engaged in said cylindrical members.

4. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein the means for moving said body member vertically with respect to said arm comprises rods secured to said body member and springs on said arm engaging said rods and arranged to support said rods and said body member and a servo motor connected between said arm and said body.

5. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein the means for moving the first mentioned bracket relative to said body member comprises a servo motor ,connected between said first mentioned bracket and said body member.

6. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein the means for moving said secondary bracket comprises a servo motor connected between said secondary bracket and said body member and wherein said secondary bracket is pivoted to said body member at a point below said servo motor.

7. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein a roller is positioned partially within the lowermost portion of said sheet engaging member and arranged so that a portion of the roller extends below the lowermost portion of said sheet engaging member.

8. The sheet handling device set forth in claim 1 and wherein a plurality of rollers are positioned partially within said body member and wherein the lowermost portion of each of said rollers extends below the lowermost portion of said body member.

9. A sheet handling device for supporting and elevating a stack of sheets and engaging and removing one sheet at a time from said stack of sheets, said device comprising a carriage mounted for movement on supporting means, an elevator on said carriage, a platform on said elevator for supporting a stack of sheets, a stand, an arm horizontally mounted in said stand for longitudinal movement relative thereto, cylindrical members on one end of said arm, elongated pistons in said cylindrical members, a body member secured to the lower ends of said elongated pistons,.a plurality of rollers positioned partially within said body member and having portions thereof extending below the lowermost portion of said body member, spring suspension devices on said arm supporting said body member and a servo motor connected between said arm and said body member for moving said body member vertically with respect to said arm, means on opposite sides of said body member for engaging a sheet to be moved, said means comprising a bracket slidably positioned on said body member and arranged for movement toward and away from said body member,

a servo motor connected to said body member and said bracket for moving the bracket relative to said body member, guide means on said bracket and a sheet engaging member adjustably positioned in said guide means and depending therebelow for engaging the edge of a sheet when said bracket is moved towards said body member, and a secondary bracket pivoted to the body member, guide means on said secondary bracket and a secondary sheet engaging member adjustably disposed in said guide means, a portion of said secondary sheet engaging member depending below said guide means and secondary bracket and having a portion thereof extending inwardly and below said body member, said portion having an inclined upper surface on which one edge of a sheet may be engaged and a servo motor positioned between said secondary bracket and said body member and above the pivotal connection therebetween and acting to move said secondary bracket and secondary sheet engaging member outwardly and upwardly.

No references cited. 

